“Whew,” she says and blows out a breath of relief. In the few months that I’ve been here, I’ve noticed that Margot has a thing for long lunches. Today is no exception, and while I don’t really care what she does with her time, one of us has to be here at all times in case a student needs us, so her long lunches delay mine, and today she’s so late that I’m starting to get grouchy with hunger.
A swarm of giggles sound in the hallway and then burst into the office. Four girls, all seniors, I think, stride toward Margot’s desk and bat their eyelashes at her. I’ve seen this before, but this time, I recognize one of the girls—Cheyenne Grady. She is the absolute last student I want to see right now. Her father and I have never had a good meeting, and though she hasn’t given me trouble lately, I still can’t believe she called me a bitch. She’s of average height for her age and average weight—meaning skinny and young and perfect—and has dark brown hair that’s tinged just slightly with red highlights. If she’s wearing any makeup, I can’t tell. She stands on the far edge of the group and taps her fingers on Margot’s desk.
A short, chubby blonde girl hands Margot a note and says, “We need the golf cart to help the football team clean up on the field.” Margot eyes the note for a moment and then sighs. Her shoulders slump and roll as she turns back toward me.
“Mr. Dale is always letting these girls out of class to help the football team.” The look on her face is anything but surprised. Mr. Dale’s a pushover, that’s for sure, and this isn’t the first time these girls have come in with a note proclaiming to need the golf cart to help the football team. It sounds like B.S. to me, but Margot’s my supervisor and I’m not about to tell her how to do her job. “Go get lunch,” she says with a wave. “Where ya going anyway?”
“No clue,” I say. “Any suggestions?” I open my bottom left drawer and pull out my purse. The tapping of Cheyenne’s fingernail quickens before she clears her throat.
“You should try The 101 Club,” Cheyenne says. She moves around Margot’s desk and zeroes in on the candy jar I keep in the corner of my desk. She pulls out a lollipop and unwraps it, then sticks it in the side of her cheek. “My dad loves the place. He eats lunch there like every day. He’s probably there now. I only get to go once in a while, but they’ve got killer burgers. Dad only lets me go on family days because at night it’s more bar than grill, but you should totally go. Oh, and get a milkshake while you’re there, too.”
Despite our earlier interactions, listening to Cheyenne talk, I can see why she seems to have so many friends. I’ve seen her around the school a few times since that night at Sea Salt Pizza, and every time she’s surrounded by girls. She may not always be the center of attention, but she’s clearly a key part of any group she joins. She’s said “hi” to me the times she’s seen me. It’s like the kid got a lobotomy or something because the sullen teen that I encountered during our counseling session has vanished. These days, every word she speaks exudes a sort of friendly confidence that is undeniably attractive in anyone of any age, but most especially a popular teenage girl.
“Thanks for the rec, but I don’t think your father and I should share eateries,” I say as politely as I can. Margot’s head bobs around as she pretends she’s not listening.
“Don’t let him scare you,” she says. “He’s all bark. Besides, you seem to handle yourself just fine. He’s harmless, I promise.”
“On South Main, right?” I ask, giving Cheyenne a soft smile. My stomach is practically leaping out at her and giving her a hug at the mention of a killer burger, but my nerves are convinced that this is a bad idea, which, for some reason, makes it even more attractive.
“Yep,” she says and pulls a cell phone from her pocket. “And if you hurry, you’ll make it to lunch hour with half-priced fries.”
Ever since the night at Sea Salt Pizza, I’ve been thinking about what I’d say to Grady should I run into him again. I was caught off-guard and not on my game because Mindy was there. But now I have an arsenal to unload on him should I have the chance.